American solar manufacturer Panelclaw Group Inc. and 26 other American manufacturers sent an open letter to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) »urging the agency to oppose tariffs that would endanger American manufacturing jobs and U.S. competitiveness.« The letter follows the ITC’s first public hearing on the petition on August 15, »where hundreds of solar workers, elected officials, and U.S. trading partners showed up in force« to oppose Suniva’s request for tariffs on imported solar parts.

»The tariffs requested by Suniva would more than double the price of solar panels in the U.S., undercutting the cost-competitiveness of solar and reversing its high growth trajectory. We would be forced to cut our manufacturing, seriously endangering manufacturing jobs at our factories,« said the letter to the ITC. »We have been building our companies to meet demand from a large and growing domestic solar market. That market is now under threat. We are true U.S. solar manufacturers and we ask that you not grant Suniva’s request for global safeguards.«Bankrupt Chinese-owned solar company Suniva and German-owned Solarworld, also in bankruptcy, are »attempting to convince the ITC that even though requested tariffs will double the cost of solar in America, solar manufacturing will grow – which defies the laws of economics.«

Suniva and Solarworld claim to represent solar manufacturing, even though together they employ fewer than 500 workers. There are more than 38,000 Americans, however, »who work in the fast-growing U.S. solar manufacturing sector.« The companies and domestic suppliers which signed the letter to the ITC employ more than 5,700 workers across the United States, says Panelclaw.